Ronda Rousey didn't win the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble, but she was there at the end of the night.
Sunday was a huge night for the women, who were slotted into the main event with the first women's Royal Rumble match. The undefeated Asuka outlasted 29 other women and eliminated Nikki Bella to win. Rumors were swirling heading into the show that Rousey would make her WWE debut during the match and score the win.
MORE: Royal Rumble 2018 breakdown and predictions
Instead, she surprised everyone by coming out after the match as Asuka was standing in the ring between "RAW" champion Alexa Bliss and "SmackDown" champion Charlotte Flair and about to choose who she would challenge at WrestleMania 34. After a brief staredown with the other women, Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania sign hanging overhead, symbolizing that she had plans for the big event. So it looks to be Asuka and Rousey challenging for the respective women's titles at the April 8 event, although we don't yet know who will face whom. Maybe it will be Rousey against Asuka at WWE's biggest show of the year.
Elsewhere in the show, Shinsuke Nakamura won an excellent men's Royal Rumble match and then stated he will face AJ Styles at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship; Brock Lesnar survived his Triple Threat match against Braun Strowman and Kane to retain the WWE Universal Champion; and Sheamus and Cesaro became three-time "RAW" tag team champions.
Sporting News had all the 2018 Royal Rumble coverage you needed with a live blog, which you can review below.
WWE Royal Rumble 2018 live updates
11:13 p.m.: Rousey gets in the ring and stares at Charlotte. She extends her hand to Asuka, who slaps it away. Then she points at the WrestleMania sign so she's getting a title match. The question is against who? She jumps out of the ring and the show ends.
11:11p.m.: Afterward, Asuka is standing in the ring between Charlotte and Alexa Bliss as she gets ready to choose who she will face at WrestleMania. Then music hits and it's Ronda Rousey. So much for her being in Columbia. It was a ruse!
Asuka wins the first Women's Royal Rumble match
11:09 p.m. FINISH: Nikki gets Asuka to the apron but Asuka counters by putting her leg around Nikki's neck and pulling her over the top rope to the apron. Nikki hits Asuka with a right arm but Asuka comes back with a kick to the ankle and Nikki falls off the apron the floor. Asuka is the winner! A solid match, and the crowd was into it from start to finish.
11:07 p.m.: Asuka is now taking turns kicking each of the Bella Twins. She tries to toss Brie out of the ring but Brie holds on and Nikki drops Asuka in the middle of the ring. But then Nikki eliminates her own sister! Down to Asuka and Nikki Bella.
11:05 p.m.: Sasha was ready to deliver double knees to Asuka in the corner but the Bellas catch her and eliminate her from the match.
11:02 p.m.: Sasha and Trish are squared off and Banks gets the best as she drops Trish over the top and she falls to the floor. We're down to the Bellas, Asuka, and Banks as the final four.
11 p.m.: All the women gang up on Nia Jax and she's gone. And it's every one for themselves as Sasha tosses her BFF Bayley over the top rope to the floor!
10:58 p.m.: Rivalry renewed as Mickey and Trish square off like the good ol' days. Doesn't last too long as Trish knocks Mickie off the top rope to the floor.
10:56 p.m.: It's not Ronda Rousey as Hall of Famer Trish Stratus comes out at No. 30.
10:55 p.m.: Bayley is No. 29, so one left; could it be Ronda Rousey?
10:53 p.m.: No. 28 is Brie Bella. Lots of people in the ring but no longer Carmella, who is eliminated.
10:52 p.m.: No. 26 is Mickie James and No. 27 is the returning Nikki Bella.
10:49 p.m.: A bunch of women who were outside the ring finally got back in with no Nia Jax. And at No. 25 is Asuka, the favorite to win the match. She makes a quick impact, knocking out Ember Moon.
10:44 p.m.: No. 23 is NXT champion Ember Moon, who is still selling an arm injury from her match the night before. She doesn't last long as Nia eliminates her. Beth Phoenix is No. 24 and The Glamizon is going one-on-one with Nia before Natalya finally get back in the ring. They knock Nia to the floor but through the ropes, so she's still in the match. Nattie and Beth are best friends and hug but Natalya slaps her because this is the Royal Rumble!
10:42 p.m.: The returns continue as Jacqueline comes in at No. 21, and then No. 22 is Nia Jax. And she's wreaking havoc, eliminating Kelly Kelly, Jacqueline, and Ruby Riott. Naomi gets knocked off the apron but lands on other women and is now propped up on the barricade so she's still in the match because her feet have not touched the floor.
Naomi finally makes her way to the ring in quite a creative way.
Unfortunately for her, once in the ring Nia makes quick work of her and she's gone.
10:40 p.m.: No. 20 goes to Naomi; time to feel the glow.
Ruby Riott sneaks up behind Lynch and knocks her over the top rope to the floor.
10:38 p.m.: Kelly Kelly is No. 19, so a lot of returns so far. McCool's night is over as she is eliminated by Natalya.
10:34 p.m.: Carmella is at No. 17 but Vickie grabbed the MITB briefcase from her and cracked her in the back. At No. 18 it's Natalya.
10:31 p.m.: Ruby Riott is in at No. 15 and at No. 16 is Vickie Guerrero. Yeah, I said Vickie Guerrero. Of course she's screaming "Excuse me!" on the microphone as she comes to the ring.
MY NIGHT HAS BEEN MADE. https://t.co/bzRIT41XLm — Wil Spillane 👀 (@2xUEss) January 29, 2018
That didn't last long as the other women grab her and send her packing to the floor.
10:28 p.m.: Lana is No. 13 and she prances to the ring. At No. 14 it's Michelle McCool. And she eliminates Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, Molly Holly, and Lana! Only three women in the ring now.
10:26 p.m.: Liv Morgan is No. 11, and No. 12 is Molly Holly. And she's on fire and eliminates Sarah Logan.
10:24 p.m.: Sonya Deville is No. 10 as we have five women in the ring right now (Logan, Banks, Wilson, Lynch, and Deville). I spoke too quickly: Deville knocks out Wilson.
10:21 p.m.: No. 8 is Dana Brooks and she dispatches Kairi Sane. Then at No. 9 is Torrie Wilson, who looks fantastic. She eliminates Dana.
10:20 p.m.: Lita hands out a Twist of Fate to both Sasha and Becky and hits both with a moonsault. A moment later, Lynch tosses Lita over the top to the floor and she's gone.
10:18 p.m.: No. 6 is NXT star Kairi Sane and then at No. 7 is Tamina.
10:17 p.m.: Mandy Rose finds herself on the apron — a bad spot — and Lita eliminates her.
10:15 p.m.: Surprise! WWE Hall of Fame Lita is No. 5.
10:14 p.m.: No. 4 is Mandy Rose and the ring is slowly but surely filling up.
10:11 p.m.: And now it's Sarah Logan at No. 3.
10:10 p.m.: The No. 2 entrant is Becky Lynch, so a couple of big names to begin things.
10:09 p.m.: And the No. 1 entrant is ... Sasha Banks.
10:07 p.m.: WWE is playing this one up big with Stephanie McMahon joining in on commentary with both "RAW" Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and "SmackDown" Champion Charlotte Flair sitting ringside.
10:03 p.m.: Time for the first women's Royal Rumble match. Best of luck to the women going on last.
9:59 p.m.: Considering the reaction they continue to get together, you have to wonder why WWE doesn't do a Lesnar vs. Strowman match as the main event of WrestleMania. It just showed the trailer for the upcoming HBO "Andre the Giant" documentary, which looks awesome.
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar defeats Braun Strowman, Kane
9:55 p.m. FINISH: Kane gets involved with a chair and Strowman is knocked out of the ring. He jumps back up on the apron but Lesnar pushes Kane into him as he goes flying backward. Lesnar scoops up Kane and delivers an F5 onto a chair for the win. Short and violent, exactly what it needed to be. In the ring, Strowman is screaming at Lesnar, who holds up his Universal Championship with a smile on his face.
9:53 p.m: Outside the ring, Strowman clears an announcer's table but Lesnar picks him and connects with an F5 that puts Strowman through the table. Then Lesnar tips over another table onto him! Lesnar then F5's Kane through the last ringside table. And Strowman is back up! Back in the ring and Strowman is manhandling Lesnar with power slams.
9:48 p.m.: Lesnar takes Strowman to Suplex City but Strowman simply picks up Lesnar and slams him through a table in the ring. Then Kane pushes Strowman through a table in the corner.
9:45 p.m.: BRAUN STROWMAN BROKE OUT A DROP KICK ON BROCK LESNAR! WHAT THE WHAT?!?! Strowman nailed Lesnar in the ear with a knee and Lesnar retaliated with a straight right hand to the side of his face. Oh, my.
9:41 p.m.: Time for the big boys. With it being a Triple Threat match, that means it's a no-DQ and no count-out match.
9:37 p.m.: Coming up next is the Universal Championship match, so that means the women are indeed going on last.
Tag Team: Sheamus, Cesaro defeat Seth Rollins, Jason Jordan
9:34 p.m. FINISH: After taking some double-team moves, Rollins finally gets to the corner and tags in a groggy Jordan. He gets in the ring but immediately tags out with Rollins yelling at him to get back in. Jordan just walks to the floor holding his head. Sheamus and Cesaro take advantage and defeat Rollins to win back the titles. The crowd was dead for the entire match despite everyone involved working hard and the story they told. That's really too bad and not fair.
9:30 p.m.: Rollins is doing his best as he knocks both Sheamus and Cesaro to the floor. Now it's Rollins and Cesaro in the ring and Seth connects with a Slingblade and Blockbuster off the top rope. He follows with a suplex and a Falcon Arrow, but Cesaro kicks out.
9:27 p.m.: This crowd is officially dead following the Rumble. Brutal. These guys are working hard with Rollins on his own against the former champs with Jordan lying outside on the floor.
9:24 p.m.: Jordan gets yanked off the apron and shoved face first into the post, so he's down and out.
9:20 p.m.: Tough spot following that great match, and the crowd is pretty dead early on. Jordan hasn't been wrestling lately because of a back injury, so who knows how much he'll be working in this one?
9:15 p.m.: Backstage, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon are getting along as they celebrate their "SmackDown" guy winning the Rumble. Then comes a wacky KFC commercial with a Rumble match and the winner becoming the next Colonel . . . and it's Ric Flair?!
9:10 p.m.: Renee Young asks Nakamura who he will face at WrestleMania. He pauses and then says "A . . . J . . . Styles!!!!!" It is going to happen! An incredible Royal Rumble match and one of the better ones in a long time, right up there with the best.
Men's Royal Rumble: Shinsuke Nakamura wins, earns WrestleMania title match
9:08 p.m. FINISH: Reigns with a Superman Punch and now Nakamura is on the apron. He slaps on a triangle choke but is perilously close to being eliminated before getting on Reigns' shoulders, only to be power slammed in the middle of the ring. Nakamura goes for Kinshasa but Reigns nails him with a speak and they're both down. Reigns picks him up and is trying to throw him over the top but Nakamura drops down to the ring, comes off the ropes and connects with a huge Kinshasa. Reigns is in a daze and Nakamura throws him over the top rope to the floor to win the Royal Rumble!
9:03 p.m.: Cena on the apron and he blocks a Nakamura kick, but Shinsuke hits a big kick to the face and Cena is out! And then there were two: Reigns and Nakamura.
9:01 p.m.: Cena with shoulder blocks on Reigns and it's time for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the crowd is dead. Reigns comes back with a Superman Punch and the crowd delivers a smattering of boos. This crowd is miffed.
8:59 p.m.: Balor is on a roll hitting everyone before Nakamura stops him in his tracks. He goes for his finisher but Balor comes with a Coup de Grace out of nowhere. Then Cena chucks Balor over the top to the floor and we're down to three!
8:57 p.m.: Former New Japan talents Nakamura and Balor with a nice exchange before Reigns interjects to another round of boos. Time for him and Cena again and the crowd is again telling them they both suck.
8:56 p.m.: Cena and Reigns face off and the Philly crowd chants, "You both suck!"
8:55 p.m.: Final four — Balor, Cena, Reigns and Nakamura.
8:53 p.m.: Down to the final six of Nakamura, Cena, Reigns, Mysterio, Orton and Balor. That's a pretty interesting mix. So long, Orton, who gets elimiated by Reigns. Double 619 by Mysterio on Cena and Reigns. But then Balor takes out Mysterio!
8:51 p.m.: Ziggler with a superkick on Cena and then another for Orton. Goldust gets knocked onto the apron and Ziggler eliminates him with a superkick. Ziggler and Nakamura get into it but then Balor hits Ziggler, who topples over the top rope and to the floor and is out of the match.
8:49 p.m.: Down to the end with Goldust at No. 29 and at No. 30 it's . . . Dolph Ziggler!
8:47 p.m.: Roman Reigns comes in at No. 28 to a huge chorus of boos. Reigns chucks O'Neil out of the ring. He then goes after The Miz but the Miztourage makes the save. Reigns hits them both off the apron with a Superman punch. It's a Shield reunion as Reigns and Rollins team up and powerbomb The Miz over the top rope onto the Miztourage. But it's every man for himself and Reigns then eliminates Rollins!
8:45 p.m.: Big suprise! Rey Mysterio enters at No. 27!
He quickly eliminates Adam Cole (BAY BAY!). Mysterio then hits 619 on The Miz but Miz is still in there.
8:43 p.m.: The Rumble just got AWWWWWEEEESSSSSOOMMMEEEEEEE! The Miz is pick No. 26!
8:41 p.m.: Titus O'Neill check in at No. 25. Hoo-rah, hoo-rah!
8:39 p.m.: Randy Orton is No. 24. He eliminates NXT Champion Andrade Almas before even taking his jacket off.
8:37 p.m.: Aiden English checks in at No. 22 and then NXT talent Adam Cole is No. 23! English only lasts a few minutes before Balor elimates him.
8:35 p.m.: The 21st entrant is The Hurricane! Surprise time! He goes after John Cena but only lasts a quick minute as Cena throws him over the top to the floor.
8:33 p.m.: It's John Cena at No. 20! He gets in the ring and everyone else immediately goes to town on him.
8:32 p.m.: Matt Hardy comes in at No. 19 and he and Wyatt team up to eliminate Rusev! The two of them begin fighting and go over the top to the floor and are both out.
8:30 p.m.: Awesome sequence as Kingston goes over the top rope to the floor but only one foot hits the floor and the other is on fellow New Day member Xavier Woods. Big E then slides a plate of pancakes under his foot and Corey Graves screams, "This is ridiculous!" Kofi then jumps up to Woods and Big E, who slingshot in the ring over Jinder Mahal. He then hits a roundhouse kick on Mahal and he's out. Then Almas takes advantage and throws Kingston out of the ring.
8:28 p.m.: Seth Rollins is No. 18 and he's wearing fire tights. He and Cesaro mix it up and Rollins tosses out the "Swiss Superman".
8:27 p.m.: Jinder Mahal is No. 17 and he eliminates Xavier Woods and Big E in quick fashion.
8:25 p.m.: Kofi Kingston is No. 16, so we'll see what kind of crazy, athletic thing he can do to stave off elimination. Meanwhile, Cesaro hits a big forearm and it's so long, Apollo Crews.
8:24 p.m.: No. 15 is Cesaro and he goes right after Balor. He has him up on his shoulder and is trying to throw him out. Balor holds on for dear life.
8:23 p.m.: My favorite to win it, Shinsuke Nakamura, is No. 14 and the crowd is going nuts. And he quickly elimiates Sami Zayn.
8:21 p.m.: Coming in fast with Apollo Crews at No. 13.
8:20 p.m.: On to No. 12, and it's Xavier Woods. There are now seven people in the match.
8:17 p.m.: They keep coming: the birthday boy Sheamus is No. 11. He throws Slater into the ring and jumps in, but Slater clotheslines him out of the ring and Sheamus is eliminated! And then Wyatt quickly eliminates Slater.
8:15 p.m.: And the "Perfect 10" is at No. 10 for the second year in a row. Cut to backstage, where Owens and Zayn are beating him up and Zayn is taking his place. Is this legal? Anything can happen in the WWE!
8:14 p.m.: Feel the power! It's Big E at No. 9.
8:12 p.m.: At No. 8 it's Bray Wyatt. BTW, Heath Slater is still lying outside the ring and has been getting kicked by everyone as they come to the ring. Well, Wyatt tosses him head first into the security barrier. And now Balor is back in the ring.
8:10 p.m.: . . . NXT Champion Andrade "Cien" Almas at No. 7! The first surprise of the night.
8:09 p.m.: Who wants to talk with Elias? He's No. 6 and walks to the ring with his guitar and says that the countdown clock will not move until he gives the performance of the week. He finally gets interrupted by the next entrant. . . .
8:08 p.m.: No. 5 is Heath Slater and before he can get off the stage, Corbin takes him out. Poor Heath.
8:07 p.m.: Baron Corbin eliminates Rhyno and then Finn Balor eliminates Baron Corbin. Corbin is so upset that he pulls Balor and Rusev out of the ring and lays them out before referees pull him off.
8:05 p.m.: Seems pretty quick but here comes No. 4 . . . it's Baron Corbin. These may be 90-second intervals but WWE can do whatever it wants.
8:03 p.m.: Balor connects with a beautiful drop kick and here comes No. 3 — Rhyno.
8:00 p.m.: The No. 2 entrant, in his first Royal Rumble match, is Finn Balor.
7:59 p.m.: And the No. 1 enttrant . . . it's Rusev Day!!!!!!
7:57 p.m.: Here we go. With the men's match taking place so early in the show, it means that none of the participants in the Universal Championship match or either tag team match will be included.
7:51 p.m.: Holy cow! The men's Royal Rumble match is not closing out the show and is next. That's a suprise. Either the women's Rumble or the Universal Championship match will close the show.
'SmackDown' tag titles: Usos defeat Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin
7:50 p.m FINSH.: And just like that, it's over. Jey rolls up Benjamin for the surprise pin. Yes, a two-out-of-three falls match that only goes two falls. When was the last time that happened? It was a very good match but felt too short.
7:46 p.m FIRST FALL TO THE USOS: Benjamin gets knocked out the ring and the Usos turn it into a Superkick Party on Gable and get the first pinfall.
7:44 p.m.: Gable and Benjamin get a couple of near falls but they can't get the win. Gable then lands a huge moonsault off the top rope onto both Usos outside the ring. Awesome.
7:37 p.m.: Gable with a chop block on Jey Uso's left leg. You can bet that will be an ongoing issue throughout this match.
7:35 p.m.: Two very good teams going at it here. This could steal the show.
7:32 p.m.: Backstage, Zayn and Owens are complaining to "SmackDown" commissioner Shane McMahon making their case that Owens wasn't the legal man and they got screwed again by the ref. KO asked Shane if he saw that. He says, "Yep" and walks away smiling. Let's say Owens was a bit miffed.
WWE Championship: AJ Styles retains against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn
7:29 p.m. FINISH: Awesome sequence as Zayn tries to make the tag and comes so close but it looks like he couldn't. Styles gets him out of the ring before getting hitting with an Owens superkick. KO goes for the pop-up powerbomb but Styles reverses into into a rollup and gets the victory. The question is: Was Owens the legal man?
7:24 p.m.: Some good teamwork as the referee is talking with Zayn, allowing Owens to connect with a superkick while on the apron, into Zayn hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb and almost getting the three count. Awesome near fall.
7:22 p.m.: Great interaction with Styles putting Owens in the calf crusher. KO was biting his own hand to stop from tapping out before Zayn finally made the save.
7:17 p.m.: It's Zayn vs. Styles for the opening minutes before Owens finally tags in. He has been dealing with a back injury lately and hasn't been wrestling much, so it will be interesting to see how much ring time he gets.
7:09 p.m.: Just two years ago, AJ Styles made his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble match. Now he's the WWE Champion.
7:05 p.m.: The main card kicks off with the handicap match for the WWE Championship. Philadelphia is pumped for the show.
7:00 p.m.: Here we go with the main card. Reminder to head over to Twitter and follow Sporting News' wrestling account, @SN_wrestling. You'll get breaking news and stories from myself and the entire wrestling staff.
6:52 p.m.: The "Nature Boy" has joined the broadcast and is talking about that great 1992 victory. He is such a happy guy now and is looking better and better following last year's health scare.
U.S. Championship: Bobby Roode retains against Mojo Rawley
6:45 p.m FINISH.: Roode again goes for the Glorious DDT but Rawley counters out. Shortly after, Roode finally hits his finisher to retain his title. Solid match.
6:43 p.m.: Back-and-forth match but Roode is in control as he hits a blockbuster. He goes for the Glorious DDT but Rawley counters out and almost get the three-count.
6:38 p.m.: And the person who is answering the call is ... Mojo Rawley? Yeah, it's Mojo Rawley.
6:35 p.m.: Time for the U.S. Championship open challenge. Who will step up to take on the "Glorious One"?
6:32 p.m.: If you did not watch Saturday night's NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia event, you missed out. The show again delivered, including an incredible, emotional main event between Andrade "Cien" Almas and Johnny Gargano.
6:18 p.m.: Not only is JBL on on broadcast, but so is Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze. She said a bad word that I can't repeat here. Here's a hint: it's a three-letter word that begins with "A." Bad girl.
The Revival defeat Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
6:13 p.m. FINISH: Old-school finish as The Revival knock Gallows out of the ring and chop-block Anderson from behind for the rollup pin. They get their win back after losing in that less-than-memorable 75-seconds match on "RAW 25."
6:07 p.m.: I think Luke Gallows saw NXT referee Drake Wuertz and his crazy tan at the November NXT TakeOver event and said, "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!" (Trademark Barney Stinson.) Gallows is literally as orange as a pumpkin.
6:03 p.m.: Time for some good ol' tag team rasslin' on the kickoff show.
5:59 p.m.: Best segment of a kickoff show in years with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn snarkily answering fan questions.
5:54 p.m.: WWE is showing a bunch of fantastic classic Royal Rumble highlights, including arguable the greatest Rumble ever in 1992, when Ric Flair won to become the WWF Champion. Afterward, he got one of the most memorable promos ever. With a tear in my eye . . .
5:48 p.m.: And look who has join the broadcast table: "SmackDown" Women's Champion Charlotte.
Kalisto, Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik defeat TJP vs. Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
5:41 p.m. FINISH: Good back-and-forth action with Kalisto connecting with Salida del Sol on TJP and he scores the win. TJP, as always, is having a temper tantrum after the match.
5:37 p.m.: As I watch this match, I can't help but wonder how limiting and uncomforable it must be for Jack Gallagher wrestling in a suit and dress shoes.
5:29 p.m.: Time for some in-ring action!
5:18 p.m.: Before the main show, make sure you check out my deep-dive breakdown of the Royal Rumble and who I think is going to win.
5:14 p.m.: WWE finally confirmed that the winners of both the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches will get to face the champion of their choice at WrestleMania. Interesting . . .
The winners of tonight's #RoyalRumble matches will get to challenge the champion of their CHOICE at @WrestleMania this year!
But @AlexaBliss_WWE ain't sweatin' it... #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/hSB3gSjZbY — WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 28, 2018
5:11 p.m.: In case you missed it, three matches have been added to the kickoff show: Bobby Roode with an open challenge for his U.S. Championship; The Revival vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows; and Kalisto and Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik vs. TJP vs. Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak.
5:08 p.m.: In case you need a refresher, thanks to Will Pruett for reminding us all of the unofficial Royal Rumble drinking rules. Mild drinks, everyone, or else you could be a real mess by the end of the night.
Added a couple rules to the #RoyalRumble drinking game... pic.twitter.com/cr2Gz4V5zg — Will Pruett (@wilpruett) January 28, 2018
5:00 p.m.: Welcome to the live blog! Time for the Royal Rumble, the unofficial yet official start of the road to WrestleMania.
WWE Royal Rumble 2018 card
Men's Royal Rumble: A 30-man match for a world championship match at WrestleMania 34
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane triple threat match for the WWE Universal Championship
Women's Royal Rumble: A 30-woman match for a women's championship match at WrestleMania 34
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn handicap match for the WWE Championship
Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan vs. Cesaro and Sheamus for the WWE "RAW" Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin two-out-of-three-falls match for the WWE "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship
Kickoff show: Bobby Roode defends his U.S. Championship vs. TBA in an open challenge
Kickoff show: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
Kickoff show: Kalisto and Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik vs. TJP vs. Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
WWE Royal Rumble 2018 predictions
— Shinsuke Nakamura outlasts the field to win the men's Royal Rumble match.
— Brock Lesnar successful defends the Universal Championship.
— Nia Jax upends Asuka in the end to take the first women's Rumble match.
— AJ Styles survives against both Owens and Zayn to retain the WWE Championship.
— Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin finally win the "SmackDown" tag team titles.
— Sheamus and Cesaro take back the "RAW" tag team titles.
— Bobby Roode earns a DQ win against former champ Dolph Ziggler.
— The Revival get their win back against Gallows and Anderson.
— Kalisto, Dorado, and Metalik score a win during the kickoff show.
Brian Fritz can be reached at btrfritz@gmail.com . Follow him on Twitter @BrianFritz and listen to his Between The Ropes podcast on Blog Talk Radio .
The first women's Royal Rumble match in the history of WWE will be held tonight alongside the traditional 30-man contest.
Two over-the-top rope encounters will take place with world title opportunities at WrestleMania 34 the coveted prizes at stake.
Raw's Brock Lesnar defends his Universal Championship against behemoths Braun Strowman and Kane in a huge triple threat bout.
SmackDown's WWE Champion AJ Styles looks to defeat the odds when he faces Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a 2-on-1 handicap match.
Odd bedfellows Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan put their Raw Tag Team Championship on the line against Cesaro and Sheamus, while athletic duo Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin try to upset The Usos for their SmackDown tag team titles.
Our man Neil Docking will deliver all the action as it happens through the night in Philadelphia - and that’s the bottom line, because Mirror Sport said so!
Welcome to our WrestlingINC.com Live WWE Royal Rumble Viewing Party. We will be providing live ongoing coverage of tonight's pay-per-view, while you all can chime in with your thoughts throughout the show. New subscribers can watch the show live by signing up for the WWE Network by clicking here and getting their first month for free, which includes WWE Elimination Chamber in February.
- The 2018 WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show opens with Renee Young, David Otunga, Peter Rosenberg and WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler inside an empty Wells Fargo Center.
Renee shows us Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens backstage talking as fans tweet their questions in for a live Q&A later. We go outside of the arena to Sam Roberts, who is with a bunch of excited fans. Fans chant "Royal Rumble" and "yes!" as Roberts plugs the show. Renee leads us to a video package for the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match. We come back to the panel and RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss has replaced Otunga. She's excited about tonight and says part of her wishes she was in the Rumble. Bliss picks best friend Nia Jax to win the Rumble but says at least she would have time to prepare for Asuka this time if she wins. Bliss talks more about the Rumble and WrestleMania 34 as Lawler gives her props. Bliss sends a warning and says it doesn't matter who wins the Rumble because they will have the pleasure of losing to her at WrestleMania. The panel runs down tonight's card after Bliss leaves.
We get a backstage Twitter video from The New Day before going backstage to RAW Tag Team Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan. Jordan says there's no way they can lose tonight as they will break The Bar. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin walk in and mock Jordan. Jordan gets serious with Gable but they stop and hug, laughing. Rollins leaves Jordan and Gable to catch up. Benjamin also chats with Jordan. Jordan says they were going to call he and Gable The World's Greatest Tag Team and Benjamin says that sounds like a knockoff. Gable mocks Jordan's singles career on RAW and Jordan rubs in his title, telling Gable and Benjamin good luck with The Usos. Jordan walks off. The panel discuss tonight's Tag Team Title matches and give Sheamus props for looking as good as he does at 40.
Renee sends us to a video looking back at the very first Rumble match, with comments from WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan. We get a backstage Twitter video from Bayley next. The panel sends us to the ring.
Kalisto, Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
We go to the ring and Vic Joseph is with Byron Saxton on commentary. Kalisto, Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik hit the ring. TJP is out next with Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak.
Gulak takes control after a slow start with Kalisto as he's not happy with the chants. Kalisto turns it around on the mat but in comes Gallagher. Kalisto tags in Metalik to go at it with Gallagher. They trade holds and Metalik rolls him up for a 2 count. Gallagher goes to the floor for a breather and some trash talking. Gallagher tags TJP in. TJP goes at it with Lince as he tags in. Lince takes control and tags Kalisto back in for more offense on TJP. Kalisto with a quick pin attempt. Kalisto and TJP run the ropes and go at it but Kalisto nails a dropkick. Lince comes off the top for a double team on TJP. Lince with chops now.
Lince unloads on TJP and hits a standing moonsault for a 2 count. TJP ends up on the apron but Lince dropkicks him to the floor. The masked cruiserweights hit a big triple team move from the top to their opponents on the floor. We go to a break.
Back from the break and TJP dropkicks Lince out of mid-air, allowing the heels to take control and take turns on Lince. Gallagher comes in and keeps focusing on the leg. Gulak tags in and knocks Metalik off the apron. Gulak takes over on Lince now and works him over in the corner. TJP comes in and double teams the leg with Gulak. Fans try to rally for Lince as TJP keeps him grounded for another 2 count, and two more while they're on the mat. Lince comes back with a pin attempt of his own. TJP blocks a tag and sends Lince out to the floor. TJP brings it back in the ring for a 2 count.
Gallagher tags back in and keeps Lince down. Gallagher wastes time on the second rope and ends up falling on his face. Gulak tags in as does Metalik. They go at it. Metalik unloads and goes to the top. Metalik walks the rope and nails a big elbow drop for a 2 count as Gallagher breaks the pin. Kalisto tags in and nails Gulak and Gallagher with a kick. Lince nails a double springboard stunner on them next. Metalik runs the ropes and hits a big dive on Gulak and Gallagher. Kalisto covers Gulak for a close 2 count.
TJP tags in as Kalisto kicks Gulak out of the ring. Kalisto counters the Detonation Kick. They trade moves and roll-ups. Kalisto nails Salida del Sol for the pin.
Winners: Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik and Kalisto
- After the match, Greg Hamilton announces the winners as they celebrate on the ramp. We go to replays. TJP argues with his partners in the ring as we go back to the panel.
- Renee gives us another look back at Owens and Sami reading fan questions on Twitter. SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair replaces Lawler on the panel and comments on the excitement in the arena and the WrestleMania 34 sign hanging up. She comments on wanting to enter the women's Royal Rumble and challenge Bliss at WrestleMania. She goes on and mentions she will be at ringside for tonight's Rumble. She also talks about wanting to face Becky Lynch or Nikki Bella at WrestleMania, or maybe Sasha Banks because she brings out the best in Flair. Renee sends us to a video package on the 1992 Royal Rumble, won by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. We get the "By The Numbers" Rumble video and come back to Sami and Owens backstage. They're more interested in mocking fans on Twitter than answering the questions but Renee and Rosenberg try. Renee reveals that the WWE Title match will open the show. We get more hype for the show before Renee sends us to the ring.
The Revival vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
We go to the ring as Michael Cole welcomes us. He's joined by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and Corey Graves. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are out first, followed by The Revival.
Anderson starts off with Dash and they go right to the corner for a tag to Dawson. They go at it and Dawson looks to take control but Anderson dropkicks him. Anderson works on the arm and tags in Gallows for a double team backdrop. Dawson rolls to the floor to regroup with Wilder. Gallows waits and in comes Wilder off a tag. Dash distracts the referee while Dawson comes in and rakes the eyes of Gallows. Dawson sends Gallows into the knee of Dash and tags him in. Dash unloads in the corner but Gallows rocks him and comes out of it. Gallows no-sells another shot and launches Dash into the corner for big body shots. Gallows keeps control as we go to a break with The Revival regrouping on the floor.
Back from the break and Dawson takes control of Anderson after Anderson doesn't see a tag. Dawson keeps control until Dash comes in to keep the assault going. Anderson breaks out of a hold but Dawson tags back in and goes right to work on him, still focusing on the leg.
More back and forth between the two teams. Anderson finally nails a Spinebuster on Dash but he kicks out. Gallows ends up on the floor with Dawson. Gallows runs into the ring post after Dawson ducks. The Revival double teams Anderson and takes his knee out for the pin.
Winners: The Revival
- After the match, Anderson sells the injury in the ring as Gallows stands with him while The Revival stands tall on the ramp. We go back to the panel.
- We go back to the panel and JBL has joined Renee, Otunga and Rosenberg. They go over tonight's card. We get more discussion for tonight's show and a backstage Twitter video from Rusev and Aiden English. WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze takes Otunga's seat on the panel for a few minutes. Blayze mentions that she would like to be in the Rumble and because Asuka is undefeated, she'd like to beat her a... her butt, she caught herself. There's some good back & forth between JBL and Blayze. Blayze takes forever to pick a women's Rumble winner and never actually makes a pick but she does say she likes Nia Jax. Renee sends us outside to Sam Roberts again. Fans behind him are going wild. We get more hype for tonight's show and a video package for the WWE Universal Title Triple Threat. Rosenberg predicts Braun Strowman to win but Otunga goes with Brock Lesnar to retain and JBL picks Kane. Renee sends us to a video on the 1998 Royal Rumble, won by WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin. Renee sends us back to the ring for the final Kickoff match.
WWE United States Title Match: Mojo Rawley vs. Bobby Roode
We go to the ring and Tom Phillips welcomes us. He's joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. Out comes WWE United States Champion Bobby Roode for the first-ever Glorious US Open Challenge. Roode cuts a promo and kicks off the challenge, asking who's going to jump on the golden opportunity. Out comes Mojo Rawley to answer the challenge.
They lock up and Mojo sends Roode to the mat. Roode charges and Mojo knocks him down. Fans chant "Mojo sucks" now. Mojo works over Roode in the corner but Roode fights out. Mojo charges out of the corner but Rode hits an inverted atomic drop and a side Russian leg sweep for a 2 count. Mojo comes right back and nails Roode. Mojo dodges a Glorious DDT and sends Roode out to the floor on his feet. Roode tries to come back in but Mojo knocks him off into the barrier. Mojo charges and sends Roode back into the barrier. Mojo talks some trash and brings it back into the ring for a 2 count. We go to a break.
Back from the break and Mojo is still in it. Roode manages to get an elbow up as Mojo charges in the corner. Mojo catches a Blockbuster attempt but Roode slides out of a slam. Roode with a forearm and a clothesline now. Roode with a corner clothesline and a neckbreaker for a 2 count. Roode keeps control and hits the Blockbuster. He calls for the DDT but Mojo blocks it and drops him for a 2 count. Mojo plants Roode into the mat and covers for another 2 count.
Mojo mushes Roode around and talks some trash. Roode catches Mojo with a spinebuster for a close 2 count. Mojo blocks the DDT once again with a backdrop. Mojo launches Roode into the ring post. Mojo charges into the corner with the big punch but Roode blocks it. Roode with an awkward DDT out of the corner for the pin.
Winner: Bobby Roode
- After the match, Roode has his arm raised as his music hits.
- We go back to the panel for more hype on tonight's show. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair joins the panel now. Flair says being here means a lot and he's glad to be anywhere with the company these days. Flair talks about the Rumble and his win years ago. Flair says it's a special moment for the winners of tonight's Rumble matches. Flair also comments on tonight's big Triple Threat and says he wouldn't wish Lesnar on anyone. He respects Braun and gives props to Kane for his career. Flair picks Lesnar to retain his title. The panel talks more about tonight's show and Flair jokes about his history with Philly. They rundown tonight's card one more time as Flair gives more props to WWE and the City of Brotherly Love. Renee wraps the pre-show.
- The 2018 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view opens with a video package. The Road to WrestleMania 34 starts now.
- We're live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as the WrestleMania 34 sign hangs high. Tom Phillips welcomes us as the sold out crowd goes wild. Tom is joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
2-on-1 Handicap Match for the WWE Title: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles
We go right to the ring and out first comes Sami Zayn as fans go along with his theme song. Kevin Owens is out next. Fans chant "yep!" as Owens and Sami wait. The music hits and out next comes WWE Champion AJ Styles to a pop.
AJ hits the ring as we see some of the international announce teams at ringside. We get formal ring introductions from Greg Hamilton as fans chant for AJ. Sami starts off with AJ as we get some stalling. Owens comes in and AJ hits him. Owens stalls some now and tags in Sami before he gets going with AJ. AJ and Sami trade counters for a quick pin attempt by AJ. Fans chant for Mike Chioda as Owens and AJ go at it. Owens drops AJ but it backfires. AJ stops Owens from tagging Sami. Owens runs around the ring and back in to make the tag.
Sami stalls some more in his corner. AJ and Sami tangle for a minute but Sami tags Owens in again. Owens unloads and takes AJ to the corner while the referee has AJ's attention. Owens takes AJ to another corner for more offense. Sami tags in and stomps away while AJ is down. Sami keeps control and fights a comeback off. Sami with a backdrop for a 2 count. Owens tags in and launches AJ into the turnbuckles for a 2 count. Owens with more offense while AJ is down.
Owens keeps control and tags Sami in again. AJ fights up and out but Owens tags in and turns it back around. AJ rocks Owens and drops Sami as well. AJ unloads on Owens now. Owens runs into a boot in the corner. Owens gets AJ in the Electric Chair, slamming him face first into the mat for a 2 count. Owens argues with the referee and goes right to AJ to keep him grounded on the mat.
Owens slams AJ again and tells him to stay down. Owens goes for the corner cannonball but AJ moves. Sami tags in as Owens clutches his ankle. Sami takes AJ to the corner but AJ stops a tornado DDT. AJ climbs up and rocks Sami on top. AJ brings Sami to the mat with a big hurricanrana. AJ is slow to get up as Sami crawls for a tag. Owens comes in but AJ nails a pele kick and Owens goes down. Sami tags in and goes for a Helluva Kick but AJ boots him. AJ goes for a moonsault but has to land on his feet, turning it into an inverted DDT.
Sami crawls and tags in Owens again. AJ rocks Owens as he charges into the corner. Sami runs in next but AJ hits him as well. AJ takes out Sami as Owens sends him that way. Sami is sent out. AJ ends up rolling Owens into the Calf Crusher as fans pop. AJ pulls back and tightens the hold in the middle of the ring. Sami runs in and breaks it up as fans boo. AJ unloads with strikes and drops Sami. Sami gets sent to the floor again. AJ ad Owens go at it for a quick 2 count. AJ sends Owens into the ring post. Sami runs in for a Blue Thunderbomb but AJ blocks it. Owens assists with a superkick from the apron while Sami has the referee distracted, allowing Sami to hit the Blue Thunderbomb for a close 2 count.
Fans chant for AJ as Sami gets up first. Sami with a chop and a slap in the corner as the referee warns him. Sami takes AJ to the top and rocks him. Sami climbs up for a superplex but AJ slides down and sends Sami face first into the turnbuckle. Sami sends AJ to the apron. Owens charges and AJ drops him. AJ springboards in and hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Sami but Owens runs in and breaks the pin up. AJ gets up first and turns to Sami for a forearm.Sami swings back. AJ rocks him. Sami fights back as they trade shots in the middle of the ring now. AJ hits two straight forearms. AJ ducks a shot and stops Sami from tagging.
Sami gets sent out to the floor again as AJ tosses him. Owens hits a superkick. AJ counters the Pop-up Powerbomb and rolls Owens for the win to retain.
Winner: AJ Styles
- After the match, Styles stands tall with the title as we go to replays. AJ stands tall with his arm raised as Sami and Owens look on from the ramp. AJ raises the title and looks up at the WrestleMania 34 sign. Sami and Owens head to the back as the celebration continues.
- Back from a break and we see Sami and Owens backstage arguing with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon, accusing the referee of screwing them again. Shane doesn't want to hear it and walks off.
2 of 3 Falls Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles: Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable vs. The Usos
We go to the ring and out comes Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin first. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos are out next. They cut promos on their opponents from ringside and throw the mics down. They hit the ring and face off.
Jey Uso starts off with Benjamin and goes right to work, taking control. Gable comes right in but Jey scrambles from their corner to his own as Shelton and Gable stare him down. Jey and Gable lock up. Jimmy Uso tags in for a double team but Gable avoids it and scrambles to the floor. Shelton joins him on the floor to regroup. Gable and Jimmy go at it now. Gable slams Uso to the mat. Jimmy goes to the corner and they break. Gable tries to attack but it backfires. Uso with offense in the corner now.
Jimmy ends up dropping Gable for a 2 count. Benjamin tags in. Jimmy swings at Shelton but he drops off the apron and avoids it. Gable with a chop block from behind. Benjamin focuses on the injured leg of Jimmy now. Shelton returns to the ring and works Jimmy over. Shelton twists Uso's leg now. Gable tags in and stomps on Jimmy before going back to work on the leg. Gable with a 2 count.
Gable continues working Jimmy's leg over. Shelton tags back in and keeps the assault going. Gable tags back in as Jimmy looks for a tag. Jimmy fights out of the corner but Gable hits a Dragonscrew leg whip for another 2 count. Gable and Benjamin double team Jimmy with jumping knees and then knock Jey off the apron. They stand tall as some fans boo. Benjamin kicks Jimmy around now and takes him back down for a knee drop. Jimmy with a big right hand. Shelton fights back and catches a kick but Jimmy nails an enziguri.
Jey rallies for a tag and gets it. Jey unloads on Shelton and knocks Gable off the apron. Jey goes to work on Shelton but misses a Samoan Drop. Gable tags in but Jey clotheslines him to the floor. Jey runs the ropes and nails a dive on Benjamin. Jey returns to the ring and leaps out onto Gable on the other side of the ring. Jey brings Gable back into the ring and hits a crossbody for a close 2 count. More back and forth between Jey and Gable now. Gable with a Tiger suplex for a 2 count. Benjamin tags back in for a big double team powerbomb in the corner but Gable dropkicks an incoming Jimmy instead. Benjamin powerbombs Jey into Jimmy. Benjamin with Paydirt on Jey for a close 2 count.
Shelton and Jey go at it now. Shelton knocks Jey off the apron. Gable tags in and goes to the top, nailing a moonsault on both of The Usos on the floor. We get a replay of the moonsault. Gable rolls Jimmy back into the ring but the referee informs him Jimmy's not the legal man. Gable turns around to a big superkick from Jey and one from Jimmy. Jey nails a top rope splash for a close 2 count on Gable. Jey can't believe it. The Usos go to opposite corners now. Shelton runs up and nails Jey, sending him to the floor. Jimmy rolls through and superkicks Shelton. Gable and Jimmy go at it in the ring now. Gable takes two superkicks from The Usos and then one in the middle. Jimmy covers for the first fall.
Shelton and Gable run wild with the double teams now. They double team Jimmy on the floor and take him out with a big move. They return to the ring and Gable goes after Jey but the referee makes sure he can go. Jey tells him to bring it. Gable nails an overhead kick. Shelton tags in but gets rolled up for the win as Gable is getting into position for a double team move.
Winners: The Usos
- After the match, The Usos hit the ramp with the titles as Gable and Benjamin look on shocked in the ring. We go to replays. The Usos stand tall on the stage with the titles in the air.
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Back from a break and we go to ringside with Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves for 1 of 2 Royal Rumble matches on tonight's card. They send us to the "By The Numbers" video on the Rumble. Mike Rome is in the ring to go over the rules. Mike also introduces WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler and out he comes as guest commentator.
Aiden English is out first to do a big introduction for Rusev, who hits the ring as the first competitor. Fans chant "Rusev Day" loudly. Finn Balor is out next as #2. The bell rings and they stare each other down. They lock up for a test of strength but Rusev tackles Balor into the ropes. Rusev sends Balor to the apron but he fights back in. Rusev sends Balor to the mat. Balor tries to dump Rusev now but can't get him up. Rusev nails Balor against the ropes and runs the ropes again but Balor dropkicks him. The timer starts up and out next comes Rhyno.
Rhyno enters the ring and goes at it with Rusev. Rhyno with a belly-to-belly on Rusev and then for Balor. Fans chant for ECW as Rhyno stands tall and looks out at the Philly crowd. Rhyno tries to dump Balor but Rusev comes from behind and stops him. Rhyno scoops Rusev but he slides out. Rusev with a spinning heel kick. The timer starts up again and out comes Baron Corbin to some boos. Corbin goes right to work on Balor and then Rhyno. Corbin tosses Balor across the ring and hits a big boot on Rhyno. Rusev soon cuts him off. Corbin goes under the ropes, runs right back in and clotheslines Rusev. Rhyno goes for a Gore but Corbin catches him and hits a Deep Six. Corbin eliminates Rhyno to boos. Balor eliminates Corbin to cheers. Corbin pulls Balor to the floor as referees yell at him. he ends up taking out Balor and Rusev on the floor. Corbin hits a big backbreaker on Balor before leaving. He's furious. The music hits and out next comes Heath Slater. Corbin floors him on the ramp with a clothesline. Officials check on Slater but he's laid out.
Balor sells a shoulder injury on the floor as we get a replay of what happened to Slater. The timer counts down and out next comes Elias with his guitar. Elias plays the guitar and introduces himself, stopping to stomp on Slater on the ramp. Elias asks who wants to walk with him. He enters the empty ring and keeps talking. he says the countdown clock will not start up again until he gives us the performance of the year. He asks everyone to hold their applause, turn their phones off and shut their mouths. The timer interrupts and out comes WWE NXT Champion Andrade "Cien" Almas with Zelina Vega. He also takes a shot at Slater. Elias and Almas go at it now. Almas drops Elias in the corner and charges in with the double knees. Elias blocks the hammerlock DDT but Almas counters that. Elias with a big clothesline. The timer starts up again and out comes Bray Wyatt.
Slater has moved closer to the ring but Wyatt launches him into the barrier. Wyatt hits the ring and nails an Uranage on Elias. Wyatt turns upside down in the corner and smiles. Balor runs in and stops Sister Abigail on Elias. Wyatt drops Balor with a clothesline. Wyatt decks Almas. Fans chant for Rusev, who is still down on the floor. Rusev gets on the apron but Wyatt decks him, and again. The timer counts down again and here comes Big E of The New Day. Big E stops at Slater at ringside and picks him up. Big E pulls pancakes from his singlet and shoves them in Slater's mouth. He enters the ring but Wyatt boots him and drops him. Big E with a belly-to-belly on Wyatt. Rusev and Elias double team Big E to drop him. Fans chant for Rusev again. Rusev works on Almas while Elias tries to dump Balor. Big E works on Wyatt in the corner now. The next man out is Tye Dillinger at #10. Tye's video plays but he's not showing up. The cameras cut backstage and we see Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens destroying Dillinger. They beat him down until referees run over. Owens says he's got this but Sami says no, I've got this. Sami walks off, apparently to the ring. Sami decks Slater at ringside and enters the ring to go at it with Balor.
Sami tries to dump Balor while Big E works over Rusev. The timer counts down and the next man out is Sheamus. Sheamus enters the ring but Slater runs in right before him. Slater charges and clotheslines Sheamus out for a quick shocker elimination. Slater celebrates but Wyatt comes from behind and hits Sister Abigail. Wyatt eliminates Slater. Rusev tries to dump Balor now. Big E has Elias down now as the Rusev Day chants continue. The timer counts down again and here comes Xavier Woods. Woods goes at it with Wyatt in the corner. Sami decks him but Woods fights back. Big E and Woods double team Sami. They double team Elias next but he hangs on and stays in. Wyatt makes Sami and Woods hit face to face. Almas works on Balor in the corner. The counter starts up again and the next man out is Apollo Crews. Crews goes at it with Wyatt. Rusev tries to dump Sami. Crews dropkicks Wyatt. Elias fights off Big E and Woods at the same time. Almas has Balor down in a corner. Balor turns it around. Rusev works on Crews.
Shinsuke Nakamura is the next man out for his Rumble debut. He hits the ring and drops Sami, then fights off Rusev and Wyatt as fans continue to sing his theme song. Nakamura works several Superstars over as fans cheer. Nakamura with knees and Good Vibrations to Elias in the corner. Fans chant for Nakamura now as he avoids a Helluva Kick. Nakamura eliminates Sami. The next man out is Cesaro, who has uppercuts for several Superstars. Wyatt works over Woods now. Rusev has Crews down. Cesaro works on dumping Balor but Almas hits Cesaro from behind. Rusev sends Crews to the apron but he hangs on. Woods rocks Wyatt against the ropes. Nakamura and Elias go at it. Rusev almost eliminates Cesaro. Rusev and Cesaro trade big shots in the middle of the ring now. The next man out is Kofi Kingston. Kofi comes in but gets dropped on his head, apparently but Rusev. Crews lifts Cesaro high in the air but can't eliminate him. Crews also hangs onto the ropes from the apron as he and Cesaro go at it. Cesaro eliminates Crews.
Jinder Mahal is out next with just one of The Singh Brothers but he hits the ring by himself. Jinder takes out Woods and drops a big knee on him. Rusev decks Wyatt. Woods gets eliminated by Jinder. Big E and Jinder go at it on the apron now. Jinder eliminates Big E. The timer starts up and here comes RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins. Rollins goes right to work on Wyatt and Elias. Rollins blocks a Slingblade from Balor and hits one of his own. Cesaro nails Rollins and tries to dump him but can't. Rollins eliminates Cesaro. Jinder works on Kofi now. Balor has Almas down. Jinder looks to eliminate Kofi but Woods is holding one of his feet, keeping him in the match. Big E brings a plate of pancakes over and puts it under Kofi's other foot. Kofi stays in the match. Woods and Big E launch Kofi back into the ring and he dances around. Jinder can't believe it. Kofi unloads on Jinder and eliminates him. Almas takes advantage and drops Kofi into the mat. Almas eliminates Kofi. The next man out is Matt Hardy.
Matt unloads on Elias and faces off with Wyatt but Rusev hits him. Wyatt and Hardy end up teaming to eliminate Rusev as fans boo. Matt and Wyatt double team Almas next but it doesn't last long as they start brawling. Hardy and Wyatt eliminate each other at the same time. John Cena is the next man out at #20. Fans sing their own version of Cena's theme song. Cena hits the ring and gets attacked by Rollins, Elias, Nakamura, Balor and Almas at the same time. Elias goes for Cena now while the others fight each other. Cena eliminates Elias to boos. Cena goes at it with Nakamura now. The next man out is "The Hurricane" Shane Helms as a surprise entrant.
Cena can't believe it as he and Helms face off. They go at it and Cena quickly eliminates Helms with an Attitude Adjustment over the top. Cena works on Rollins now. Balor works on Nakamura in the corner. Aiden English is the next man out. English goes right to work on Rollins. Fans do dueling chants for Cena s he goes at it with Balor. The next man out is Adam Cole from NXT, with his ribs taped up from Takeover. Cole gets a pop and hits the ring with offense. Balor eliminates English. Balor works on Rollins now. Cole works on Almas. The next man out is Randy Orton to a pop. Orton hits the ring and unloads on Cole. Orton with a powerslam. Cena blocks the RKO and pushes Orton into a kick from Almas. Almas launches himself in from the apron but right into a big RKO. Orton eliminates Almas.
The next man out is Titus O'Neil. Cole works on Nakamura in the corner. Titus tries to eliminate Cena. Cole and Rollins try to dump Nakamura. Orton drops Balor. Titus turns his attention to Cole and tries to dump him but Cole hangs on. Nakamura rocks Titus with a kick. Titus with a big chop to Nakamura in the corner. The timer starts up again and the next man out is WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. Miz charges the ring by himself and goes to work on Rollins, then Balor. Cena scoops Miz for an AA but it's blocked. Miz with a big DDT on Cena. Miz with "yes!" kicks to Cena and Rollins at the same time. Miz avoids another AA and nails a Skull Crushing Finale on Cena. Rollins drops Miz with a superkick. The next man out is Rey Mysterio for a big return pop at #27. Rey unloads on Miz and then goes to work on Cole. Fans chant "holy s--t" at Rey's return. Rey goes to work on Cole now. Rey tries to dump him and gets it. Cole has been eliminated. Rey springboards in and hits Miz. Rey with a 619 on Miz. The next man out is Roman Reigns at #28. The crowd boos.
Reigns enters and drops Cena. Reigns goes at it with Miz next. Reigns eliminates Titus. The Miztourage helps Miz stay in but Reigns takes them both out. Rollins with a Curb Stomp Blackout to Miz. Reigns and Miz double powerbomb Miz to the floor on top of Axel and Dallas. Reigns then grabs Rollins and eliminates him. The next man out is Goldust. Goldust hits the ring and goes at it with Orton and others. The last man out is Dolph Ziggler to make his return.
Ziggler goes right to work on Cena. Cena misses an AA and eats a superkick. Ziggler sends Cena to the apron but he hangs on. Ziggler superkicks Orton. Ziggler eliminates Goldust. Nakamura goes after Ziggler next. Nakamura catches a superkick but Ziggler hangs on. Balor eliminates Ziggler. It's down to Balor, Rey, Cena, Orton, Nakamura and Reigns.
The final 6 go at it. Cena with an AA on Balor. Rey with a 619 on Reigns. Reigns ends up hitting a Superman punch and then eliminating Orton. Rey with a double 619 on Cena and Reigns. Rey springboards in on Cena. Balor eliminates Rey. We're down to Cena, Balor, Nakamura and Reigns. They all take a breather and look at each other before getting up and facing off in the middle of the ring. Cena taunts Balor but decks Nakamura. Reigns drops Balor while Cena goes after Nakamura on the mat. Reigns and Cena face off next. Fans chant "you both suck" at them. Nakamura and Balor attack them to a pop.
Balor and Nakamura face off now. Balor fights Nakamura into the corner. Nakamura with a high knee in the corner but Balor hangs on. Balor with a kick from the apron. Balor fights back in. They go at it some more. Cena and Reigns come back with clotheslines as fans boo. Cena and Reigns face off again. Fans chant "you both suck" again. Cena and Reigns go at it. Cena hits the shoulder but Reigns comes back with a Samoan Drop. Cena blocks a Superman Punch and drops Reigns. Cena goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Balor stops him with a Slingblade and a corner dropkick. Balor with a Slingblade and a dropkick to Reigns now. Balor with a Slingblade to Cena. Nakamura drops Balor with a kick. Nakamura goes for Kinshasa but Balor double stomps him. Cena eliminates Balor to boos. Cena points at the WrestleMania sign to say no hard feelings.
Cena and Reigns double team Nakamura as fans boo now. Reigns and Cena go at it again. Cena goes for the Shuffle again and this time hits it. Cena goes for the AA on Reigns but he slides out and hits a Superman Punch. Reigns pushes Nakamura out of the way as he waits for the Spear. Cena turns around but blocks the Spear with an AA. Nakamura comes from behind but Cena elbows him. Cena tries to suplex Nakamura out but he knees Cena. They tangle on the apron and Nakamura eliminates Cena with Kinshasa. It's down to Nakamura and Reigns now. They face off as the crowd pops.
Nakamura tells Reigns to bring it. Reigns rocks him and they trade shots in the middle of the ring. Reigns drops Nakamura with a Superman Punch and looks up at the WrestleMania sign. Reigns tosses Nakamura but he hangs on. Reigns approaches but Nakamura kicks him. Nakamura with an arm submission over the top rope. Reigns powers Nakamura over into the ring and slams him to the mat. Fans chant for Nakamura while both men are down now. Nakamura blocks the Spear with a kick. Reigns runs into another kick. Nakamura with a flying knee to the face. Nakamura waits for Kinshasa but Reigns blocks it with a Spear. Reigns looks up at the WrestleMania sign again. Reigns scoops Nakamura and goes to dump him but Nakamura hangs on. Nakamura comes back to the mat and ends up hitting a big kick to the face. Nakamura eliminates Reigns to get the win. Nakamura is going to WrestleMania 34.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
- After the match, Nakamura celebrates as Renee Young enters the ring to ask him about his WrestleMania 34 opponent. Nakamura simply says the name of WWE Champion AJ Styles and the crowd pops. Nakamura's music hits as he celebrates the big win, pointing up at the WrestleMania sign.
- We see SmackDown bosses Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan backstage celebrating the win. RAW bosses Stephanie McMahon and Kurt Angle walk in for a friendly back & forth.
- We see video from a recent KFC Battle Royal match that was won by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair dressed as The Colonel.
RAW Tag Team Title Match: The Bar vs. Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan
We go back to ringside with Michael Cole, Corey Graves and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins is out first as we see a clip of him in the Rumble. RAW Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan is out next. Cesaro and Sheamus are out next as we see more international announce teams in the arena.
Rollins and Cesaro go at it to start things. Rollins gets the upperhand early on and Cesaro goes to the floor for a breather. Sheamus tags in and goes at it with Rollins. Cesaro tags in as The Bar double teams Rollins with stomps in the corner. The Bar with more quick tags and double teaming in the corner. Sheamus with a 2 count. Rollins finally goes for a tag but Jordan drops off the apron to go at it with Cesaro but he gets ran into the ring post. Rollins ends up getting tossed around by Sheamus on the floor. Sheamus brings it back in the ring and goes to the top. Sheamus with a flying clothesline for a 2 count. We see trainers on the floor checking on Jordan.
The Bar double teams Rollins again as Cesaro tags in. Jordan looks to wave off ringside doctors as Rollins tries to fight off both of his opponents. Rollins springboards in but Sheamus catches him. Cesaro clotheslines Rollins from the apron as the referee is distracted. Cesaro tags in for another double team move. Cesaro with a 2 count. Jordan is still down on the outside of the ring. Cesaro with more offense and another 2 count on Rollins. Sheamus comes back in for a double team backbreaker for another 2 count.
Rollins tries to fight off both opponents again and he does. Sheamus and Cesaro both get sent out to the floor. Rollins ends up hitting a Slingblade and a Blockbuster on Cesaro in the ring. Rollins with a forearm and a suplex. He rolls through and goes for a Falcon Arrow but Cesaro counters. Rollins rolls him up for a 2 count. Rollins with a Falcon Arrow for another 2 count. Rollins kicks Cesaro in the jaw for a 2 count as Sheamus breaks it up. Sheamus tags in and takes Rollins to the top for a super White Noise. Rollins fights out and knocks Sheamus down. Cesaro joins in and they double team Rollins up top. Sheamus gets sent to the mat. Rollins sends Cesaro to the mat now.
Rollins climbs up and nails a Frogsplash on both opponents at the same time. Rollins rolls over and clutches his left knee. Jordan finally makes it back to the apron now. Jordan tags in but he's dazed and confused. Jordan tags right back out. Rollins turns his attention to Jordan as Jordan takes a seat on the steel steps. Cesaro brings Rollins in the ring for more double teaming. Rollins fights them both off. Sheamus tags in and hits a Brogue Kick on Rollins. Cesaro tags in for an assisted White Noise. Cesaro covers Rollins for the pin and the titles.
Winners and New RAW Tag Team Champions: The Bar
- After the match, Cesaro and Sheamus stand tall with the titles. Jordan is still sitting on the steps holding his head.
- We get promos for WrestleMania 34 and tonight's big Triple Threat.
Triple Threat for the WWE Universal Title: Kane vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar
We go to the ring and out first comes Braun Strowman. Kane is out next. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is out last with Paul Heyman. Cole, Graves and Booker are back on commentary. JoJo does formal ring introductions but Heyman cuts her off to handle the intro for his client.
Lesnar smiles before the bell. Lesnar attacks Kane but Braun is up next, attacking both men and nailing a big dropkick to Brock. Braun drops Kane again and goes at it with Brock. Braun with a big knee to the jaw. Brock turns it right around. Brock goes for a F5 but Kane blocks it with a chokeslam attempt. Kane chokeslams Brock. Braun takes Kane tot he corner and works him over.
Brock brings a steel chair in and hits Kane but Braun levels Lesnar. Braun sends Lesnar out of the ring and then Kane. Braun stands tall and yells out. Braun goes back to the floor to work Lesnar over. Braun grabs half of the steel steps and hits both opponents in the face. Braun stands tall and gets another pop. Braun goes under the ring and brings another chair out, then a table as fans pop. Braun brings two tables in the ring now and stands them up while Kane is down. Braun leans one table in the corner. Braun chokeslams Kane and covers for the pin but Lesnar runs in and breaks it up. Lesnar with two straight German suplexes to Braun, and a third. Braun ends up driving Lesnar through a table but Kane breaks the pin up at 2.
Kane sends Braun through a table in the corner now, shoulder first. Kane with a chokeslam to Braun for 2 as Lesnar breaks it up. Lesnar with a F5 to Kane but Braun breaks it up. Braun Germans Lesnar out of the ring. We get a replay of Braun driving Lesnar through the table earlier. Braun launches Lesnar into the barrier while Kane is also down on the floor. Braun takes apart one of the announce tables at ringside. Lesnar counters and puts Braun through the announce table with a big F5.
Brock tips over another announce table onto Braun, burying him. Brock counters a chokeslam and puts Kane through the announce table. Lesnar returns to the ring but stops on the steel steps and stares Braun down as Braun stands up from the debris. Lesnar attacks but Braun drops him with a kick to the face. Braun brings it back into the ring with a big powerslam to Brock, and another powerslam. Kane comes in with chair shots to Braun, unloading and knocking him out of the ring. Kane turns his attention to Lesnar now.
Kane scoops Lesnar but drops down and knocks Braun off the apron to the floor instead. Lesnar with the F5 to Kane on top of a steel chair. Lesnar covers for the pin to retain.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
- After the match, Heyman grabs the title and leaves with Lesnar, who is all smiles. We see Braun recovering at ringside while Kane is down in the ring. Braun enters the ring and yells out at Brock, saying Lesnar didn't beat him or pin him. Lesnar raises the title on the stage as Braun looks on from the ring.
- We get previews for the new WWE 24 documentary on the WWE Network and the upcoming HBO documentary on WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant.
- We get a video package for tonight's main event next.
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
We go to the ring for the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match and JoJo goes over the rules. JoJo then introduces Maria Menounos, the guest ring announcer. Maria introduces Stephanie McMahon, who comes out as the guest commentator to join Cole and Graves. Maria introduces RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and then SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair. They take seats at ringside to watch the match. Sasha Banks is out first for the match. Becky Lynch is out as the second entrant.
They lock up and go at it. Becky takes control first. Becky avoids a Backstabber early on. Becky with a pair of deep arm drags before keeping Banks grounded by the arm. Banks goes for the Banks Statement but can't get it. Becky also goes for the Disarm Her. They both go down as the music hits and out comes Sarah Logan. Logan goes after Becky first and then drops Sasha. Becky fights back but Logan clotheslines her. Logan tries to dump Becky but Sasha makes the save. Logan drops Sasha into a big headbutt and she goes down. Becky fights Logan while Logan is on the apron but Logan saves herself and fights in to stomp away in the corner. The timer counts down and the next woman out is Mandy Rose.
Mandy and Sasha go at it. Logan tries to dump Becky. Mandy drops Sasha and shows off some for a pop. Mandy tries to dump Sasha now but she hangs on. The music hits and the next woman out is WWE Hall of Famer Lita for a Lita hits the ring and faces off with Becky and Sasha. Lita gets the upperhand and then drops Logan. Rose attacks Lita from behind. Rose and Lita tangle. Lita ends up eliminating Rose. The next woman out is Kairi sane from NXT. Sane goes at it with Logan and then Lita. Sane takes out Lita, Logan and Banks again. Sane goes to the top and hits her big elbow drop on Banks. Sane drops Becky next. The next woman out is Tamina Snuka.
Tamina unloads until Lita drops her with a DDT. Lita with a Twist of Fate to Banks, then Becky. Lita goes to the top and hits a Litasault on Banks and Becky at the same time. Fans chant "you still got it" as Lita tells Tamina to bring it. Lita eliminates Tamina. Becky comes right over and eliminates Lita to some boos. Sane tries to dump Becky. Dana Brooke is out next. She hits the ring and Becky tries to dump her. Dana rams Sane back to the corner and works her over. Dana pushes Sane from the top and Sane is eliminated. Torrie Wilson is out next for her WWE return. Torrie hits the ring and drops Dana, then hits Sasha in the corner. Torrie dropkicks Becky. Logan dropkicks Becky. The WWE Network goes out and comes back with Sonya Deville in the ring. Apparently Torrie eliminated Dana. Deville works over Logan and then Torrie. Deville eliminates Torrie to some boos. Liv Morgan is out next. She and Logan try to dump Sasha. Becky takes Logan to the corner. The next person out is Molly Holly at #12 for her return.
Molly ends up eliminating Logan after entering the ring. Banks and Molly go at it now. Holly goes to the top and takes out Banks as fans chant "you still got it" at her. Deville drops her. Liv and Deville go at it now. Becky joins in and hits a Bexploder to Sonya. Out next comes Lana at #13. Fans chant "Rusev Day" as Lana enters the ring. Deville and Liv stomp her down. Lana ends up getting fired up and unloading on both but they double team her. The next woman out is Michelle McCool for her WWE return. Fans chant for The Undertaker as McCool unloads. McCool eliminates Deville and then Liv.
McCool also eliminates Holly and Lana. Ruby Riott is out next. McCool tries to dump her but she hangs on. Ruby drops McCool and comes back in but Sasha kicks her and tries to dump her. She hangs on and fights back in. Becky and Ruby go at it now. McCool tries to dump Sasha but she hangs on. The next woman out is Vickie Guerrero for her return, yelling "excuse me!" to everyone. Vickie yells at the others as they turn their attention to her. Fans chant for WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero. Vickie tries to run away from the ring but they stop her and eliminate her. The next woman out is Carmella with her Money In the Bank briefcase.
Carmella and Vickie have words at ringside. Vickie snatches the briefcase and hits Carmella in the back, knocking her down. Carmella is laid out. Sasha and McCool go at it while Becky and Ruby go at it. The next woman out is Natalya. Natalya decks Carmella on her way into the ring but Carmella drops Natalya off the apron. Carmella enters the ring and drops McCool, then Sasha, then goes at it with Becky. Carmella with a big kick to Ruby's face. Carmella works over Becky in the corner now. Kelly Kelly is out next at #19 for her WWE return. Natalya tries to toss Kelly tut she hangs on. Kelly hits Natalya and then McCool drops Natalya. Kelly and McCool go at it now. Natalya eliminates McCool. Natalya and Carmella double team Banks now. Naomi is the next woman out. Naomi hits the ring and unloads on all the others.
Becky delivers suplexes to several opponents. Ruby dumps Becky but she hangs on. Ruby eliminates Becky. The next woman out is WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline Moore for her return. She hits the ring and goes to work on several others. Natalya and Jackie work on dumping Kelly. The next woman out is Nia Jax at #22. Nia hits the ring and runs over Carmella and Banks at the same time. Nia eliminates Jackie and then Kelly. Natalya gets dropped but she goes under the ring. Nia presses Ruby high in the air as the crowd pops. Nia launches Riott on top of the turnbuckles and then eliminates her. Naomi comes from behind and unloads with kicks. Nia launches Naomi out of the ring but she stays in the match as she lands on top of other eliminated competitors. Jax stands tall in the ring alone as NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon comes out, still selling the injuries from Takeover. Ember unloads on Jax as fans chant for NXT. Ember gets tossed from high by Jax. We see Naomi walking from the barrier to Menounos' chair. She uses her hands to make the chair roll her to the steel ring steps. Naomi re-enters the ring and goes to the top. Jax catches a crossbody and eliminates Naomi. Jax stands tall alone in the ring again. The next woman out is WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.
Phoenix and Jax face off in the middle of the ring as fans pop. Jax shoves her and talks trash. Beth unloads but Jax nails her in the jaw. Beth fights back and Jax headbutts her. Fans chant "this is awesome" now Beth tries to scoop Jax but can't get her. Jax drops Beth with a shot to the back. Natalya ends up running in to help Beth with Jax. They hug until they go at it and Natalya turns to eliminate Phoenix. Carmella re-joins the action now. Asuka is the next woman out. Asuka unloads on Sasha and Natalya. Carmella comes from behind but misses a kick. Asuka unloads on Carmella now. Moon returns to the ring and faces off with her former rival Asuka now. Moon ends up hitting an Eclipse on Asuka. Asuka eliminates Moon by using her injured arm. Mickie James is out next at #26.
Mickie hits the ring with offense on several different Superstars. She works on dumping Natalya now. Asuka tries to dump Mickie now. Nikki Bella is out next. Nikki hits the ring and unloads, dropping everyone including Asuka. Nikki looks out and stares at Flair as fans do the "John Cena sucks" chant to troll Nikki. Carmella stomps away on Nikki and mocks her with the Cena taunt. Nikki tries to dump Carmella but she hangs on. Nikki eliminates Carmella. Asuka takes out Nikki. Brie Bella is out at #28. Fans do the "yes!" chants as Brie unloads on Natalya, Asuka, Sasha and Mickie. The Bella Tins stands tall now. Jax returns to the apron but The Bella Twins dropkick her to the floor but she is still in the match. The Bellas double team Natalya now. The next woman out is Bayley.
Bayley hits the ring and goes at it with the others. She works on Asuka and tries to dump her. The final entrant is WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Trish attacks Natalya and then Bayley, Asuka, Sasha. Trish faces off with The Bella Twins and fights them both off. Trish fights off a double team and hits Stratusfaction on The Bellas. Trish also takes out Bayley. Trish and Mickie face off as the crowd pops now. They go at it and unload on each other. Trish eliminates Mickie by kicking her from the top. Jax floors Trish. The others beat down Jax and unload on her. Jax explodes out and sends everyone flying. The Bellas try to double team Jax from the apron with a suplex. The others come over to assist and Jax gets eliminated by a group of people. Sasha turns on Bayley and eliminates her.
Trish drops Sasha. Natalya slams Trish by her hair. Trish kips up and kicks but Natalya catches it and turns it into the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Trish tries to dump Natalya and finally does. We're down to Sasha, Asuka, Trish and The Bella Twins. Sasha and Trish argue. Trish kicks her and taunts her. Sasha blocks Stratusfaction and eliminates Trish. Sasha turns around to Asuka in her face. Fans chant "Asuka's gonna kill you" now. They turn their attention to The Bellas but Sasha drops Asuka. They triple team Asuka now and take turns on her. The Bellas stomp away on Asuka in the corner now. Sasha gets a few shots in and talks trash, slapping Asuka. Asuka eliminates Banks.
The Bellas taunt Asuka and go to work on her. The try to dump Asuka but she hangs on and knocks them both down. Asuka with kicks to Nikki and Brie while on their knees. Asuka levels them both with big kicks to the head as fans pop. Asuka tries to dump Brie but she hangs on. Nikki comes from behind and Asuka goes down. Nikki with the TKO on Asuka. Nikki turns on Brie and eliminates her. Asuka fights Nikki off and points up at the WrestleMania banner. Asuka comes off the top rope and hits a missile dropkick. More back and forth between the two, in the ring and on the apron. Asuka applies a submission on the ropes and tries to bring Nikki down but she hangs on. Nikki ends up falling to the floor and Asuka gets the win. Asuka is going to WrestleMania 34.
Winner: Asuka
- After the match, Asuka hits the corner to pose and point at the WrestleMania sign as her music hits. We go to replays. Flair and Bliss join Asuka in the ring. Asuka walks in between them and takes a look at each champion, smiling and going back & forth. Flair raises her title, Bliss raises hers. The music hits and out comes Ronda Rousey making her WWE debut in a t-shirt inspired by WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper. Menounos introduces Rousey as she hits the ring. Rousey stares down each Superstar in the ring. Rousey points up at the WrestleMania 34 banner as a "holy s--t" chant starts up. Rousey extends her hand to Asuka but Asuka slaps it after teasing a shake. Rousey smiles at her. Rousey points back at the WrestleMania sign as her music starts back up. Bliss, Asuka and Flair look at the sign, then at Rousey. Rousey leaves the ring and slaps hands with some fans at ringside. Rousey stops at the announce table and shakes hands with Stephanie. Rousey leaves the arena wit all smiles. She stops on the stage and waves at everyone, pointing to the WrestleMania sign one more time before leaving. The Royal Rumble goes off the air.
A match many thought they'd never seen on this continent...in this ring...for this title will be the MAIN EVENT of... https://t.co/1YieUJb50D — AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) 1517192001000
That's all from us, guys. We had a cracker of a Royal Rumble. Smackdown Live's Shinsuke Nakamura eliminated Roman Reigns to win the 2018 Royal Rumble, while Raw's Asuka made history by winning the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match. In the other two main events, Brock Lesnar extended his domination by successfully defending his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman and Kane.AJ Styles is still your WWE Champion. He pinned Kevin Owens in a two-on-one handicap match that had Sami Zayn by his side.- Hold on. One last surprise remains. Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has made her way to the arena and points towards the Wrestlemania sign. What does it mean?- TheEmpress of Tomorrow makes history. Asuka eliminates Nikki Bella and will be heading to Wrestlemania.- Shades of Summerslam 2015: Nikki Bella eliminates her sister Brie, leaving her and Asuka as the two final participants of the Women's Royal Rumble- The entire women's division work together to eliminate Nia Jax. Sasha Banks meanwhile, eliminates her best friend Bayley. Who'd have expected that?- The final participant is none other than...She engages in a showdown with Mickie James. Remember 2006? Who can forget their amazing rivalry.-The penultimate entrance in the Women's Royal Rumble - 'Hug Life',- At No. 27 enters, the longest reigning Divas Champion. And at No. 28, it's her sister Brie. The Bella Twins have entered the Royal Rumble.: The Empress of tomorrow, the unbeaten AsukaBeth Pheonix enters the Rumble at No. 24 and does the unthinkable, lifts up Nia Jax.- NXT Women's Champion Amber Moon heads out at No. 23. She and Nia Jax go at it. Naomi, meanwhile, does a Kofi Kingston outside the ring. After landing on the barricade, Naomi walks through the chair, climbs on the steel steps and enters back the ring only to be eliminated by Jax.- Nia Jax comes out at No. 21 and absolutely flattened all. Naomi meanwhile, does a Kofi Kingston.- After being in the Rumble for 31 minutes, Becky Lynch is eliminated- No. 19: A former Divas campion, Kelly Kelly is back! Meanwhile, Natalya eliminates Michelle McCool- Sasha and Becky started this match and are still going strong.- Entry No. 16:It's Vickie Guerrero. Gets eliminated by all 4 members in the ring.- Entry No. 13:. And the crowd explode into "Undertaker" chants. This is amazing. She eliminates Deville and Molly Holly.- WHATTT! Entry No. 12 is none other than. And she looks to be in amazing shape. This just keeps on getting better- And now Torrie gets eliminated, by Sonia Deville. Why can't these things last longer?- Another Blast from the Past: Entering the Rumble at No. 9 isSheeliminates Dana Brooke.- Heartbreak in Philly. Lita gets eliminated by Becky Lynch.- At No. 7 enters Tamina, who gets planted with the Twist of Fate. She follows it with two more TOF's to Sasha and Becky and lands the Moonsault from the top rope. This is incredible. Crowd starts chanting: "You've still got it", and it's hard to disagree with them., the WWE Hall of Famer enter the Rumble at No. 5. And she straightaway eliminates Mandy Roseis Absolution's Mandy Rose, the female runner-up of the 2015 Tough Enough winner.is Smackdown Live's Sarah Logan of the Riot Squad.is the Boss, Sasha Banks. Joining her in the ring would be the second entrant. Two pioneers of the Women's revolution. Sit back guys, the first ever Women's Royal Rumble kicks off.- It's time to creat history, ladies and gentlemen. Up next is the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble match. Guest announcer Maria Menounos introduces Stephanie McMahon, who will be doing commentary for this Rumble match. Also to be ringside will be the Raw and Smackdown Women's Champions, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte- An F5 to Kane and Lesnar retains his Universal championship. Strwoman laid outside the ring- Three running Powerslams to Lesnar before Kane interrupts with a steel chair- Lesnar picks up Strowman and Kane on his shoulders and delivers the F5 on the two announce tables. He then turns the table on top of the Monster. It's turning out to be a car crash, ladies and gentlemen. So much physicality.- Lesnar takes Strowman to Suplex City with three german suplexes. But wait, it hardly has an effect on him. He drives Lesnar through a table.- Strowman is a wrecking machine. He takes out Kane and Lesnar, first with a steel chair and then the steel steps. If that wasn't enough, he brings a table into the ring.- Kane and Strowman muster early attack on Lesnar, the champion gets planted with a Chokeslam.- Will the Beast Incarnate successfully defend his Universal title against Strowman and Kane? The three participants are out in the ring as a nervous Michael Cole slides to the safe side. A reminder: Lesnar has been champion for 301 days now since winning the title from Goldberg at last year's Wrestlemania.- Brogue Kick from Sheamus! And The Bar follows it with a White Noise-Uppercut combination for the pin. Sheamus and Cesaro are now a four-time tag-team champions.- WAIT! Jordan makes his way back to the ring. Tags himself in but doesn't look a 100 percent. Tags back Rollins, who is not impressed.- Sheamus and Cesaro work well to take out Jordan outside the ring. Inside, they wore out Rollins with a two-on-one adantage. Rollins counters with a Blockbuster off the top rope but needs assist soon. Sheamus goes for the White Noise off the top rope but Rollins counteres with Frog Splash to both members of The Bar.And we cannot agree more...- And the Rockstar has made up his mind.is the winner of the 2018 Royal Rumble. After connecting with his finisher, he throws Reigns over the top rope. He is headed to Wrestlemania.- Connects with thenow- Nakamura was looking for the Kinshasa but Reigns ran in and connected with- Cena elminated. We are down to two,The crowd is behind Nakamura now. He has lasted 45 minutes in the Rumble.Cena eliminates Balor. He's lasted for 57 minutes. Monumental performance by Balor- Balor has lasted 52 minutes having entered the Rumble at No. 2 The last four remain, three of them being Nakamura, Reigns and Cena- Reigns eliminates Orton. Mysterio delivers a double 619 to Cena and Reigns before Balor throws him over the top rope.- We are into the final 6.- Ziggler eliminated by Balor. He seemingly went for Nakamura by the Rockstar ducked.He's back. Dolph Ziggler has returned. The Showoff is the final entrant in the Rumble.Goldust, entering his 12th Royal Rumble- Reigns and Rollins work together to eliminate The Miz via a double Powerbomb outside the ring. But alliances don't last long in the Rumble do they? With his back turned, The Big Dog eliminated The Architect.Here comes the Big Dog,It's the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble,Randy Orton, plants a flying RKO to the NXT Champion, who then gets elminated.is Adam Cole, all taped up following his Extreme Rules match at NXT Takeover from last nightWHATTTTT! Stand back, asis coming through. Gets eliminated by Cena.16-time World Champion and two-time Royal Rumble winner, John Cena. He gets his payback on Elias by delivering an AA that lands him outside the ring.'Woken' Matt Hardy. Straightaway gets into a showdown with Bray Wyatt. Wyatt and Hardy work together to eliminate Rusev, who lasted over 30 minutes. They finally come to blows and eliminate each other.- Fans in India. We have some bad news. Jinder Mahal has just been eliminated by Kofi Kingston.Burrrnnnn it dowwnnnnnn! Seth Freakinnn Rollinsis the Modern Day Mahara Jinder Mahal. He elminates two members of the New Day, Xavier Woods and Big E.Cruise eliminated by Cesaro. Also, all three members of the New Day have entered the ringWe are halfway through the Rumble match, guys- Entering at No. 14 is WWE's Rockstar,. Philadelphia serenading Nakamura with his music. Comes in and eliminates Zayn. Byron Saxton is finally relieved.- Zayn and Owens take out Tye Dillinger backstage to enter the Royal Rumble. And wait! Heath Slater just eliminated Sheamus after the Celtic Warrior inserted him in the ring. To make things worse, it is Sheamus' birthday today. Enters No. 12 Xavier Woods.are Andrade 'Cien' and Bray Wyatt. Heath Slates is yet to enter the Rumble. He gets taken out via every superstar outside the ringRhyno and Corbin eliminated. An irate Corbin then takes out Balor and Rusev outside the ring. Fourth entrant is Heath Slater and even he is taken out near the stage. The ring is empty. Not one wrestler is in the ring right now.- The 'Lone Wolf' Baron Corbin from Smackdown Live. He won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal in 2016 and would know what it takes to last.- Enteringis The Man Beast Rhyno in his second ever Royal Rumble match, a former tag-team champion. He's a very popular figure in Philly. Reason? He's an ECW product. And just as we type this, the ECW chants reveberate in the areana.- WWE Hall of Famer Jerry 'The King' Lawler is the Guest Commentator for the Royal Rumble match. Entering No. 1 is The Big Bulgarian, after a warm introduction by Aiden English, followed by entrant No. 2 ishis first ever Royal Rumble.- It's over. Back-to-back falls for The Usos. With Jay taken out, Gable and Benjamin took a little too much time to come up their double team move. Jimmy meanwhile, countered and rolled up Benjamin for the count.Twin superkicks to either side of Gable's head gives us the first fall of the match. Uson up one fall to none.- The two teams have worn each other out. They've have hit each other with their best shot but we still are yet to have an opening fall.Whoa! What happened here? Styles carried Zayn on his shoulders to throw him out of the ring. However, Zayn had managed to tag in his partner without Styles' knowledge. As Owens landed the Superkick to Styles and went for the Pop-up Powerbomb, Styles countered it into a rollup and got the pinfall. Still your WWE Champion,! Styles hits his best move but still can't put away Zayn. Owens emerges just in the nick of time to break the count. The Number's game proving too much for the WWE Champion.- EXTREMELY CLOSE! Owens connects with the Super Kick from the apron and Styles follows it with the Blue Thunder Bomb but Styles has just about enough adrenaline left to kick out.- A reverse electric chair from KO has Styles falling face first on the mat. A close two count. Owens then goes for the Canon Ball but Styles manages to get out of the way.Tag made and Zayn comes in. Styles isolates Zayn with a hurricanrana off the top rope. But as Zayn goes for the tag, Styles has no one for help but still manages the Pele kick.It's like watching a boxer taking a break between rounds. Styles continues to fight off both and locks in the Cab crusher. Can he put away Owens? No, just when it seemed KO would tap out, Zayn breaks it up.- Cat and mouse game might be over. Styles stuns Zayn with a drop kick but the number's game just be beginning to take effect here. Zayn and Owens keep Styles on the mat.- Styles walks out to a loud ovation as the match gets underway. Sly tactics from Owens and Zayn as they keep tagging each other in and out. Styles musters some offence to throw both his opponents off-guard.It's that time of the year folks. With the Wrestlemania sign looming large in the background, 30 men will try to outdo each other for a chance to main event the Grand Daddy of them all: Wrestlemania 34. The 30-men Royal Rumble is just a few moments away and we are here to bring you its live updates. The Road to Wrestlemania gets officially underway.In addition, for the first time, there will also be a 30-women Royal Rumble match, as announced by Stephanie McMahon earlier this month. Also headling this year's Rumble will be a Triple Threat match for the WWE Universla Championship, where the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar will be defending his title against The Monster Among Men Braun Strowman and The Big Red Machine Kane. And if that isn't enough, Smackdown Live's WWE Champion AJ Styles will defend his title in a handicap match against members of the 'Yep' movement, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.The tag-team championships will also be on the line. The Raw tag-team champions Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins take on "The Bar", Cesaro and Sheamus, while Smackdown Live's tag champs Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin will face The Usos in a two out of three falls match.1. Bobby Roode beats Mojo Rawley to retain the United States Championship2. The Revival defeat Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson3. Kalisto & Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik defeat TJP vs. Jack Gallagher & Drew Gulak
